Bidzina Ivanishvili personally funded the state budget for years under UNM rule, declares MP Archil Gorduladze

“Far from drawing on public funds, Bidzina Ivanishvili personally bankrolled the national treasury for years during times of fiscal distress under the previous administration,” declared MP Archil Gorduladze, Chairman of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, in response to comments made by Ahali’s Nika Gvaramia.

Addressing the press, Gorduladze dismissed Gvaramia’s remarks as a shameless attempt to cast a shadow over Ivanishvili’s extensive philanthropic legacy.

“First and foremost, I must respond to the sheer audacity of Gvaramia, a leader in the collective United National Movement (UNM). What he allowed himself to say in court today was unbecoming even for someone of his standing. He cynically claimed to regret his former administration’s actions, alleging they exempted the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, from paying taxes, thereby enabling him to rise to power using public funds. Gvaramia also sought to disparage Ivanishvili’s charitable endeavours.

Let me be unequivocally clear: Bidzina Ivanishvili has never received public funds at any point in his career. On the contrary, for years he personally replenished the state treasury, when the national treasury struggled under UNM rule. Using his private capital, not a single tetri of which was earned in Georgia, our honorary chairman personally funded the salaries of teachers, soldiers, police officers, parliamentarians, and thousands of public servants to prevent state institutions from collapsing. He built modern barracks and administrative facilities for the military and police, fully equipping the security apparatus with vehicles, gear, and essential operational technology.

Furthermore, Ivanishvili used his personal fortune to finance the construction and renovation of 400 schools at a time when parents feared for their children’s safety in dilapidated facilities. He transferred these funds directly into the state budget, allowing the Gvaramia-aligned administration to take credit for the upgrades. Neither Bidzina Ivanishvili nor his family ever categorised these contributions as mere charity; because the state lacked the means to meet these vital obligations, he stepped in to bankroll the essential public infrastructure needed to keep the country functioning.

“Bidzina Ivanishvili has consistently funded culture, sports, science, and numerous other sectors, with his total philanthropic contribution to Georgia exceeding USD 2.5 billion. A few years ago, he transferred his remaining assets to the Cartu Charitable Foundation, which continues to drive hundreds of community initiatives nationwide. While the public is fully aware of his material, social, and political contributions, I deemed it essential that Gvaramia’s audacity did not go unanswered,” Gorduladze stated.

Gorduladze’s briefing followed remarks by Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, at the Constitutional Court, who sought to distance himself from the former UNM government’s actions.

“I distance myself from the practice of exempting one specific individual from paying taxes, allowing him to accumulate hundreds of millions. I distance myself from letting that same individual carry out alleged acts of charity using money siphoned from the state budget, an operation that turned out to be a long-term electoral campaign. That sole individual, incidentally, is Bidzina Ivanishvili,” Gvaramia had claimed during the court session.